Over 1,000 Bank of England staff worked from the beach last year as its WFH policy draws criticism

BANK of England workers spent more than 12,800 days working from abroad last year, according to new figures. More than 1,000 employees used the scheme, which allows eligible staff to work overseas for up to 40 days a year, according to The Telegraph. This is in addition to the Bank’s policy permitting staff to work from home in the UK for three days a week. Around 5,500 employees qualify for the overseas-working scheme. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! About one in five used it last year, spending an average of just under two weeks working abroad. The Bank refused to reveal which countries staff had worked from, warning that doing so could increase the risk of cyberattacks. Critics claim the policy could harm productivity and put confidential information at risk. The figures emerged after it was separately revealed that the Bank had spent more than £12 million on almost 11,000 laptops over the past three years, despite employing fewer than 6,000 people. The Bank said the spending reflected its “continued investment in modern technology and secure systems”, which was necessary to support remote working. Robert Jenrick, of Reform UK, said: “While inflation is set to spike and the economy is teetering on the brink of a recession, Bank of England officials are working from the beach. Most read in Money “Millions of working people who are being hammered by rising prices – and won’t be able to get abroad – will be shocked at this.” Shimeon Lee, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “While families struggle with the cost of living, Bank staff are living it up overseas on taxpayer-funded tech. “It’s time to ground these high-flying perks once and for all by getting staff back into the office.” A Bank of England spokesman defended the policy, saying: “The Bank’s Working from Abroad policy is in place for staff who temporarily work outside the UK. “The policy is subject to time limits and other conditions, including security-related restrictions, and staff are required to fulfil their usual duties and responsibilities professionally and effectively.” Comment now